Apparatus for the removal of unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings of screw-caps from the neck of bottles

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an apparatus and a process for removing unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings of screw-caps from the bottle-necks. Therefor a bottle is applied and pressed during its transport against a guide which can give way in cross-direction. This bottle is treated by one or more protrusions displaced from the bottle-top downwards mainly in a plane through the center-line of the bottle. Thanks said protrusions, the pilferproof ring remaining on the bottle-neck is pushed downwards and is broken in order to be removed from said bottle-neck.

United States Patent Leenaards [45] Sept. 12, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL 0F UNBROKEN OR INSUFFICIENTLY BROKEN PILFERPROOF RINGS OF SCREW-CAPS FROM THE NECK OF BOTTLES [72] Inventor: Joseph Jacques Leenaards, 6

Chomin de Primerose, Lausanne, Switzerland [22] Filed; oct. s, 1970 [21] App1.N0.;79,07s

[52] U.S. Cl ..29/200 D, 29/427, 225/2, 22S/96.5 [5 l] Int. Cl. ..B23p 19/00 [58] Field of Search ..29/427, 200 D; 225/9, 96.5, 225/96 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,735 5/ 1905 Martin 22S/96 X 1,175,697 3/ 1916 Braun .,29/200 D 3,101,688 8/1963 Negola et al ..29/200 D Brandeberry ..29/427 3,301,423 1/1967 Soto ..29/427 X 3,237,493 3/1966 Hughes ,22S/96.5 X 3,448,594 6/ 1969 Macon ..225/96 UX 3,462,052 8/1969 Wagner ..225/96 X 3,472,517 l0/ 1969 Menne ..29/427 Primary Exminer-Charlie T. Moon Attorney-Woodcock, Washburn, Kurtz & l Mackewicz [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention relates to an apparatus and a process for removing unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings of screw-caps from the bottle-necks.

Therefor a bottle is applied and pressed during its transport against a guide which can give way in crossdirection. This bottle is treated by one or more protrusions displaced from the bottle-top downwards mainly in a plane through the center-line of the bottle.

Thanks said protrusions, the pilferproof ring remaining on the bottle-neck is pushed downwards and is broken in order to be removed from said bottle-neck.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR THE'REMOVAL OF UNBROKEN OR INSUFFICIENTLY BROKEN PILFERPROOF RINGS OF SCREW-CAPS FROM THE NECK OF BOTTLES The invention relates to a process and apparatus for the removal of unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings or screw-caps from the neck of bottles.

For the moment, the pilferproof screw-caps are widely used for the closure of bottles. These screw-caps are formed from thin shapable metal with a top side and a skirt, which skirt is subdivided in an upper part and a lower part, which are connected to one another via a number of bridges which are situated at a well defined angular distance .in an interrupted circumferential groove line, said lower part being designed for forming a pilferproof ring and said upper part being designed for forming a screw-thread in connection with the screw-thread provided on the cylindrical surface of the top of the bottle. lf a similar screw-cap after sealing is unscrewed from the bottle, the bridges between upper part and pilferproof ring break. If the bottle concerned is not to be returned to the bottling hall, there is no objection that a pilferproof ring remains on the bottle-neck. However, with so-called returnable bottles, the pilferproof ring has tobe withdrawn with the screwcap when the bottle is opened, because in the bottling hall only bottles without these rings can be handled.

From the French Pat. No. 1,279,091, it is already known to provide the pilferproof ring with a weakening, in order that during the unscrewing of the screwcap, the pilferproof ring can break, while measures are also taken in order that the broken pilferproof ring during the further unscrewing of the screw-cap remains connected to the cap, so that bottles are returned to the bottling hall, without unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings. Practically, it happens that with a certain number of bottles, the removal of the pilferproof ring does not work. This means, that if similar bottles are to be filled and closed again in the bottling hall, the pilferproof rings which remain on the bottle-necks are to be removed in the bottling hall. Until now, this was done manually, which took much time and was a rather costly operation. The purpose of the invention is to render automatic the removal of unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings from screw-caps, preferably in such a way that in a conveyor line in the bottling hall the relating actions for the removal of said pilferproof rings are done automatically.

The process according to the invention is characterized by the fact that a bottle, which is pressedv against a guide, that can give way in cross-direction, is treated during the transport along the guide by one or more protusions which press downwards the pilferproof ring along the bottle-neck and break said pilferproof ring. This treatment is done at the spot of the collar, which is located on the bottle top or finish to bear the pilferproof ring. These protrusions are moving from the top downwards in a plane through the center-.line of the bottle. Preferably the pilferproof rings, which are pressed downwards and broken, ,are removed from the bottle-necks by brushes or similar devices, which rotate in opposite directions with respect to one another. These brushes try to push downwards the broken pilferproof rings along the bottle-neck. The apparatus according to the invention is characterized by a conveyor for the bottles with one or more transport means, which move the bottles along a guide which can give way in cross-direction and a parallel to the conveyor located rotating spindle, which bears one or more protrusions or lugs for breaking the pilferproof rings, said spindle being driven in such a way with lrespect to the bottles, that said protrusions move mainly in a plane through the center-line of the bottle which is to be treated. A suitable embodiment of this apparatus is characterized by the fact that the conveyor means consist in rotating worms located parallel to the conveyor and which grip on the body of a bottle, which is to be treated, press said bottle against the guide, which can give way and transport said bottle along the conveyor, -said conveyor worms are rotating synchronized with the spindle, which bears the protrusions. In this way, it is possible to remove said pilferproof rings from the bottles, while the bottles are conveyed continuously at a constant speed. Essentially, it is also possible to work with intermittent transport of the bottles and to stop the bottles every time on the spot of the track of said protrusions, which latter can be born by a rotating disc in this instance.

If the apparatus works with continuous transport of the bottles, it is preferred that said spindle has grooves with the same pitch as that from the conveyor worms, said protrusions being located in or in they surrounding of said grooves. [n this instant, the device can be made in such a way that the protrusions which are located in the grooves inthe surroundings of the outside surface of a spindle protrude in cross-directionbf the corresponding groove. A

To said protrusions, placed in the grooves, there can be added other protrusions, which are located in the surroundings of a groove on the outside surface of the spindle and directed radially. Thelast-mentioned protrusions can complete the operation of the firstmentioned transverse protrusions. The radical protrusions can be made wedge-shaped with one plane of the wedge almost parallel to the neck of the bottle to be treated.

The invention is further explained hereinafter referring to the accompagnying drawings in which FIG. l is a side-view and FIG. 2 a cross-section of an apparatus according .to the invention.

All returned bottles are fed to the worms A and B via a normal bottle conveyor. These worms take care of a right and regular transportv through the apparatus. Two worms are used one above the other to avoid tilting of the bottle in a vertical plane parallel to a plane through the worm axis. Worms A and B are adjustable horizontally depending on the diameter of the bottles. Opposite to the worms A and B is placed av guide G (eg. made of a suitable synthetic resin such as nylon) which is spring-loaded and also adjustable in a horizontal plane. The guide takes care that the bottles pass through the worms A and Bin the right way.

On the height of the glass top or finish of the bottle F is placed a third worm C. Worm C'is adjusted in height in such a way, that said glass top passes through the groove of worm C. Worm C is synchronized with the worms A and B, which ensures a right transport of the bottles F.

In the groove S of worm C, circular pins P are fitted (FIG. 2). These pins P are ground sloping in such a way that, when looked from the top of the bottle, a sharp upstanding edge is present. When the worm C rotates, the upstandng edge of the pins P brushes along the lower part of the glass top or finish. If, on the spot, a ring R is present, then said ring is pushed downwards by the pin P. The spring-loaded guide G opposite the worms A and B takes care for sufficient contact between the glass top or finish of the bottle and the pins P. In practice, most of the rings R appear to spring open by the action of the pins P. There are however rings, which are pushed down by the pins P of the corresponding groove S, but do not spring open. The rings remain hanging for a moment under the glass top or finish of the bottle. (The distance on which the rings fall is dependent on the form of the bottle-neck). In order to break open also these unbroken rings, which are hanging lower, radial pins Q are fitted. The pins Q are placed radially in the outer surface of the worm C, just beside the edge of the groove S in the worm C and on the same side as the pins P (thus, on the left-hand side of the glass finish in F IG. 1). The pins Q are ground in wedge-form, whereby one plane of the wedge is almost parallel to the bottle-neck. The length of the pins Q is chosen in such a way that they do not touch the bottle-neck, but they come so near by that the rings, which hang around the bottle-necks, are seized and broken. The pins Q break all the rings, which are not broken by the pins P.

At the end of the worm C there are only bottles left without ring or with a ring which is broken open. All bottles pass now through two (steel) brushes Pl and P2. The (steel) brushes rotate each in opposite directions with respect to one another in such a way that they brush along the bottle-necks in a downward direction. All (open) rings still present are pulled by said brushes down from the bottle-neck. In order to be sure that all rings are removed, the brushes P1 and P2 are made with a certain width Br. The brushes are adjustable in height.

What l claim is l. Apparatus for removing unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings of screw-caps from the bottlenecks comprising a bottle conveyor with one or more conveying means, a guide mounted along the bottle conveyor and elastically displaceable across said conveyor, a rotating spindle parallel to the bottle conveyor, means for rotating the spindle, one or more protrusions carried by the rotating spindle,- moving mainly in a plane through the centerline of the bottle and pushing downwards a pilferproof ring remaining on the bottle-neck after removal of the cap, in order to break it and remove it from the bottle 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conveyor means comprises rotating worms extending parallel to a conveyor track and rotating synchronized with the rotating spindle, said rotating worms pressing the bottle against the guide and transporting said bottle along the conveyor track.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating spindle is provided-with at least a helical groove having the same pitch as that of the rotating worms, the protrusions being fitted in or near said groove.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the protrusions fitted in or near the groove protude with respect of the outer face of the rotating spindle in a cross-direction of said groove.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein radially directed protrusions are carried by the rotating spindle in or near its groove and on the outer face of said rotating spindle.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim S, wherein said radially directed protrusions are ground in wedge-form with one plane of the wedge almost parallel to the neck of a bottle to be treated.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein rotating brushes or similar devices are placed above the bottle conveyor across the bottle way, said brushes rotating in opposite direction with respect to one another and pushing downwards the broken pilferproof ring away from the bottle. 

1. Apparatus for removing unbroken or insufficiently broken pilferproof rings of screw-caps from the bottle-necks comprising : a bottle conveyor with one or more conveying means, a guide mounted along the bottle conveyor and elastically displaceable across said conveyor, a rotating spindle parallel to the bottle conveyor, means for rotating the spindle, one or more protrusions carried by the rotating spindle, moving mainly in a plane through the center-line of the bottle and pushing downwards a pilferproof ring remaining on the bottleneck after removal of the cap, in order to break it and remove it from the bottle
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conveyor means comprises rotating worms extending parallel to a conveyor track and rotating synchronized with the rotating spindle, said rotating worms pressing the bottle against the guide and transporting said bottle along the conveyor track.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating spindle is provided with at least a helical groove having the same pitch as that of the rotating worms, the protrusions being fitted in or near said groove.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the protrusions fitted in or near the groove protude with respect of the outer face of the rotating spindle in a cross-direction of said groove.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein radially directed protrusions are carried by the rotating spindle in or near its groove and on the outer face of said rotating spindle.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said radially directed protrusions are ground in wedge-form with one plane of the wedge almost parallel to the neck of a bottle to be treated.
 7. Apparatus as claimed in claiM 1 wherein rotating brushes or similar devices are placed above the bottle conveyor across the bottle way, said brushes rotating in opposite direction with respect to one another and pushing downwards the broken pilferproof ring away from the bottle. 